Method of and apparatus for the production of mineral wool



(No Model.)

W. HKENNEDY. METHOD OF ANDABPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MINERAL WOOL.

No. 436,244 Patented Sept. 9. 1890.

W H W 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAH H. KENNEDY, OF ETNA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MINERAL WOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 436,244, datedSeptember 9, 1890.

Application filed May 1, 1890- Serial No. 350,182. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. KENNEDY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Etna, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theMethod of and Apparatus for the Production of Mineral Wool; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, mineral wool has been produced byblowing a jet or jets of steam or air against a stream of molten slag orby treating the same to encircling jets of air or steam. By both thesemethods the falling slag is struck by the steam or air when an almostsolid column, the outer surface of which chilling quickly by theatmosphere is not properly acted upon by said steam or air and a veryconsiderable quantity of the slag, instead of being converted into finefiber or wool, is formed into hard globs, or what are known to the tradeas buckshot. By my method, however, the slag is spread out fanshaped indescending upon the jets of steam or air, presenting a thin sheet to theaction thereof in such manner that the air or steam issuing from theseries of round-inclined per forations reduce said slag to the greatestnu mber and smallest possible fragments of fine fiber or Wool, therebyincreasing the quantity and improving the quality without increasing thepower used.

I will now describe my invention, so that others skilled in the art mayemploy the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich-- Figure 1 indicates a perspective of my improved mineral-woolproducing apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan of steam-chest, projecting linesindicating steam in series of jets issuing therefrom. Fig. 3 is afrontelevation of same. Fig. 4. is a side elevation of same.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, in all devices used in the productionof this material the steam or air has been'projected against thedescending slag through slots in the steamclined planes.

chest or through flat nozzles, and great care presenting an almost solidcolumn of slag tothe action of the jets of steam or air and fromdefective action of the steam or air upon said slag, producing with thewool a considerable quantity of buckshot. By the use of my method andapparatus this is. greatly remedied and a better quality of woolproduced.

Referring to'the drawings, A is a tank constructed of cast-iron or othersuitable material, and may be of any desirable size, preferably largeenough to contain about fifteen gallons of molten slag, which flows, asindicated by the arrows, from the furnace (not shown) through the run ortrough a into said receiving vessel or tank. I) is an overflow ordischarge at one side of said tank for the pur pose of regulating thequantity of slag permitted to flow through the inclined trough B at thefront of said tank, and to fall upon the jets of air or steam issuingfrom the series of round perforations formed in the front of thesteam-chest O, which is supplied with steam or air through the pipe 0,which connects said steam-chest Witha boiler (not shown) or other sourceof supply of steam or air. Said chest is provided in its front wall withfour series of openings D D E E, the two upper series of openings D Dbeing inclined or converged toward each other in a horizontal plane, andthe two lower series of openings E E being inclined vertically to theplane or inclination of said upper series of openings. One of the twolower series of openings E E is inclined reversely to the other seriesof such lower openings, and said two lower series of openings form attheir juncture the apex of in The openings constituting one series ofopenings D D orEE are parallel to each other, andeach series of openingsare inclined to the face of the steam-chest, the inclination of the jetsor streams from the upper series of openings D D being indicated instream of molten sla g to spread it horizontally out into a thin sheet,and the several series of jets or streams from the horizontally andvertically converging passages intersect a short distance from and infront of the steamchest, as indicated in Figs. 2 and l.

F is a lever pivoted at its inner end to the lug f, secured upon theupper side of said tank, and is adapted to operate the scraper G, whichis secured thereto for the purpose of breaking or knocking off slagwhich has chilled upon said chute or trough. In the practice of myinvention I form said perforations about three thirty-seconds of an inchin diameter, and for the inner jets of the upper series about two and ahalf inches apart when said steam-chest is about five to six incheslong, maintaining this distance in proportion as the size of the chestis increased or decreased. The jets in either upper series respectivelyare parallel to each other and converge toward the center. The lowerseries separately viewed each form a crescent, which conjoined, as shownin Figs. 1 and 3, forminclined planes for the purpose of spreading theslag or cinder laterally their entire length. The perforations formingsaid lower series are also parallel to each other with an upwardinclination so as to intersect the jets from the upper series a shortdistance from the steam-chest, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. The herein-described method of producing mineral wool, which consistsin subjecting liquidslag to four series of blasts or currents of air orsteam, two upper series of such air or steam currents converging towardeach other in horizontal planes, and the plane of the lower series ofair or steam currents converging vertically to those of the upperseries, as set forth.

2. The herein-described method of producing mineral wool, which consistsin subjecting liquid slag to four series of blasts of air or steam, theline of flow of each current of steam or air of each series beingparallel to the other currents of the same series and passing throughminute perforations or passages, the two upper series of such blasts orcurrents converging in horizontal planes and the lower series of blastsor currents convergingvertically to the line of the upper series ofblasts, as set forth.

3. In the manufacture of mineral wool,the combination of a chest, meansfor supplying steam or air thereto, and four series of openings, ofwhich the two upper series are inclined toward each other in ahorizontal plane, the plane of the lower series being inclinedvertically to that of the upper, substantially as described.

4. In the manufacture of mineral wool, a converting device or apparatusprovided with series of round perforations or jets, the jets of eachseries of which are parallel to each other, two of the series ofperforations converging in a horizontal plane, and the other series ofjets or perforations inclined vertically to that of the other series,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In the manufacture of mineral Wool, a converting apparatus providedwith series of round perforations or jets inclined to the face of thesteam-chest, the jets of either series of which are parallel to eachother, in combina tion with a tank for the reception of slag,substantially as described.

6. In the manufacture of mineral wool,a converting apparatus providedwith series of round perforations or jets inclined to the face of thesteam-chest, substantially as described, the jets of either series ofwhich are parallel to each other, in combination with a tank for thereception of slag, and a scraper adapted to be operated by a lever forthe removal of chilled slag from the pouring-trough of said tank,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

7. In the manufacture of mineral wool, a converting device provided witha plurality of series of jets or perforations, the upper series of saidjets or perforations being inclined to the face of the steam-chest inhorizontal planes, and the lower series of jets or perforations beinginclined in vertical planes and meeting or intersecting with each otherat a point between the inclination of the upper series of perforationsor jets, substantially'as described, for the purpose set forth.

8. In the manufacture of mineral Wool, a

converting apparatus provided with series of parallel round perforationsor jets, the lower series of which conjoined form inclined planes forspreading the slag falling toward the same in a lateral direction,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

WVILLIAM ll. KENNEDY. [L.

In presence of-- R. J. S'roNEY, Jr., W. E. JOHNSTON.

